James L. Jones

General James L. Jones is U.S. President Barack Obama's National Security Adviser. He headed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) from 2003 and 2006, and remains "a fierce advocate of NATO expansion. As commander of the alliance from 2003 to 2006, he pushed for it to take greater responsibility for securing oil supplies in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East."

Previous to joining the Obama administration, Jones was lobbyist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He also served on the board of Invacare Corporation, which "sells home and long-term medical products." Jones previously served as NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and Commander of the U.S. European Command. 

James L. Jones has been a member of Boeing's board of directors since 2007.

"Retired Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander, U.S. European Command. General Jones has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for 21st Century Energy, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, since March 2007. He served as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and Commander of the United States European Command from January 2003 to February 2007. Previously, General Jones served as the 32nd Commandant of the United States Marine Corps from July 1999 to January 2003. He is a director of Invacare Corporation. General Jones is a member of the Audit Committee and the Finance Committee."

Military power to the private sector
In March 2007, O'Dwyer's PR Daily reported that Jones had joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as a "lobbyist". (O'Dwyer's used the term "lobbyist" in a broad advocacy sense as Jones is not a registered U.S. lobbyist which is a requirement for those making direct representations to members of Congress and other public officials.) "Jones will head the Institute for Energy, which is to present itself as a grassroots organization. The Chamber went a similar path with the creation of the Institute for Legal Reform." Jones will focus on global warming and seek "to 'unify energy stakeholders behind a common strategy' to produce affordable and secure supplies while protecting the environment," reported O'Dwyer's, quoting Chamber president Thomas J. Donohue.

Skeptical about Iraq War
"One of America's most senior generals has condemned as 'foolish' plans backed by leading Washington hawks to topple Saddam Hussein by using special forces in a repetition of the tactics that succeeded in Afghanistan," reported the Telegraph in August 2002. "Gen James L Jones, the four-star commander of the U.S. Marine Corps who will be taking over as NATO's supreme allied commander, was clearly addressing high-ranking conservatives in and around the Pentagon." 

Of an Iraq invasion, Jones warned: "You better have Plan B in your hip pocket, because when you attack someone who has any kind of well-trained army on their homeland they are going to fight differently than if they engage you, say, in Kuwait." 

Official military bio
"General Jones is the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR) and the Commander of the United States European Command (COMUSEUCOM). From the Supreme Headquarters Allied Power Europe, Mons, Belgium, General Jones leads Allied Command Europe (ACE), comprising NATO's military forces in Europe," reads his official military biography. 

Jones served in the Vietnam War, from 1967 to 1968, "as a Platoon and Company Commander with Company G, 2d Battalion, 3d Marines." He served in Okinawa, Japan, from 1974 to 1975. And in the 1980s "was selected to attend the National War College in Washington, DC." In the early 1990s, Jones "participated in Operation Provide Comfort in Northern Iraq and Turkey." During a tour with the U.S. European Command, "he was reassigned as Chief ot Staff, Joint Task Force Provide Promise, for operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia." 

In the mid-1990s, Jones was assigned "as the Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. ... General Jones assumed duties as the Commander of U.S. European Command on 16 January 2003, and Supreme Alled Commander Europe on 17 January 2003." He retired from NATO in February 2007. 

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Operation Iraqi Freedom: Military and Political Dissent
 * U.S. Chamber of Commerce

External resources

 * Official military biography

External articles

 * David Rennie and Anton La Guardia, "Top US general attacks hawks' strategy on Iraq," Telegraph (UK), August 23, 2002.
 * "Jones Works Energy Front," O'Dwyer's PR Daily (sub req'd), March 5, 2007.
 * Joanna Klonsky, "Backgrounder: James L. Jones, National Security Adviser Nominee," Council on Foreign Relations, December 3, 2008.